Longest serving paper girl makes Guinness Record

A job that started in June 1958 culminated this week with recognition from the famous reference book of extreme achievements.

Darlyne Markus, 80, of Nampa received a certificate this week officially naming her “the longest-serving paper girl.” She applied for a chance at the title a little over a year ago. The former record holder was a newspaper carrier from Canada who delivered papers for 44 years.

For 51 years and through all sorts of weather, Markus has tossed countless Idaho Free Press and Idaho Press-Tribune newspapers onto driveways and front porches on her 42-mile route along Airport Road, Garrity Boulevard and Robinson Boulevard and East Victory Road.

Mrs. Markus was 29 when she first got the job. The paper was smaller and a month’s subscription only cost $1.25. Gas cost a quarter a gallon. There was a lot less traffic and Markus knew every customer on her route — which was during the day in the early years — by name.

Mrs. Markus has been through nine cars since she started the route and if her vehicle breaks down, she rents one instead of handing her route over to somebody else.

“I’ve never missed a day,” she said, “and when I have a problem I don’t expect the bosses to come out and fix it.”